Surprise! Welsh Party Running Wales

Labour are the largest single party in the Welsh Assembly – that odd creature that has less power than the Scottish Parliament and more power than a local council. They do not have a majority, with only 26 of the 60 seats.

They had been expecting to hold onto the reins of power, which they had held since the Assembly was first elected in 1999. However, last night Plaid Cymru agreed in principle to a coalition with the Tories and Lib-Dems with a total of 33 members. Plaid leader Ieuan Wyn Jones will most likely become the new First Minister of Wales.

Before the era of David Cameron, it wouldn’t have been thinkable that the Tories could have joined with a hard left party like Plaid. With Cameron re-invented the Conservatives to the left of Labour, I suppose this isn’t too surprising.